Futures Thinking
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Letter no. 46
Dear reader from the future, Writing this as a 30-year-old (oh how I really like being 30), I realized how stubborn and even prideful I was in my 20s. I thought that ideals were enough to change the part of my world, graduating from one reality (academe) to another (workplace). I was too hot to… Read more
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Living in a self-focused culture
Mainstream media would keep telling you about putting yourself first above all else which often leads to thinking only about immediate gratification within one’s lifetime without thinking about the next generation. This unsettling reality of short-termism got me thinking about how this generation has become lovers of self, which resonates with: For people will be… Read more
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Think long-term
As an energy researcher, talking about climate change is part of our work. It is a concept that really stuck with me in 2006 after watching An Inconvenient Truth on cable television. Even after reading The Ministry for the Future, I still find it challenging to imagine what life would look like a year or… Read more
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Letter no. 45
Dear reader from the future, Can you imagine a place filled with life-sized puppets to imitate a place filled with people? I just turned 30 and am already at a point in my life where I am considering raising my own family. I have even started to miss the children my husband and I still… Read more
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Understanding arguments against climate action
A study on discourses of climate delay identified common arguments used to delay climate change action. Unlike outright climate change denial, these “discourses of delay” acknowledge climate change but offer reasons to avoid or postpone climate action. The researchers grouped the discourses of climate delay into four: The researchers argue that these discourses of delay… Read more
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Can you imagine waking up into a new world order?
When the tension between the Philippines and China is all over our local news, I can’t help thinking about a changing world order after learning about hegemonies from my friends versed in international relations. What is hegemony? Hegemony refers to the dominance of one state or group over others, which can manifest in various forms,… Read more
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Letter no. 44
Dear reader from the future, The public square is so loud about issues with the highest human engagement (like angst and its relatives) where the highest profit is. And the algorithm knows when to offer “the good stuff,” strategically ordering content to ensure that we get hooked on what we consume, oblivious about how long… Read more
jessa 